Health Science Librarian Career & Jobs: Training, Salary & Certification Requirements

When people have an unexplained illness or injury, they depend on doctors and nurses to have access to a large amount of health related information that will help them to ask the right questions and arrive at the correct diagnosis and method of treatment. Of course, doctors and nurses take years of schooling to be able to perform their jobs on a daily basis, but it is necessary for them to research and learn about new medicines and conditions all the time so that they will have a working knowledge of the latest medical information that is available. Because it would be impossible for doctors to treat their patients and perform all this research by themselves, they have health science librarians that are trained to help them access the most recent information and techniques. These health science librarians are also responsible for organizing the books, electronic media resources and CDs so that they will be easy to find and listed on national networks.

Salary Outlook

It is important to note that the size and financial power of the medical institution at which health science librarians are employed will greatly affect the salary that is achieved.

Average Annual Salary
$43,700
Salary Range
$34,700 - $59,300

Work Environment

Although some health science librarians are employed directly by hospitals and medical centers, it is more common for the librarians to work at medical colleges, nursing schools and colleges for the medical professions. Other employment opportunities also include working for medical manufacturing businesses and research companies.

High School Preparation

Although they are not directly involved in diagnoses and treatment of patients, the health science librarian is responsible for accessing and disseminating the knowledge of the scientific and medical communities to the doctors and nurses that will know how to use them best. Because they will work so closely with medical professionals, it is important for librarians to study biology, algebra, chemistry, psychology, sociology, foreign languages, anatomy, history, and literature. It is also important that they have a strong knowledge of office management, health administration, computer skills, and data entry.

Requirements

Although there is no requirement as to which major they choose, all health science librarians are required to possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four year college or university. Following graduation, it is required that aspiring health science librarians go on to complete their master’s degree in Library and Information Science from a school that has been approved by the  American Library Association (ALA).

Career Outlook    

Although it is expected that more health science librarians will be hired at college and research university libraries where there expertise can be put to use by the entire academic community, there is only expected to be a small increase in demand for trained librarians.

Professional Organizations

Medical Library Association
65 East Wacker Place, Suite 1900
Chicago, IL 60601-7298
Phone: (312) 419-9094
www.mlanet.org